Bargain hunters hit stores in droves

Staff photos by Tom Kelly IV
Black Friday shoppers took to Exton Square on Friday in search of bargains on one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. The parking lots were packed, and shoppers packed the stores in the mall and walked the halls with bags in each hand.

Welcome to 2012 Thanksgiving weekend shopping, a new animal for the retail industry and the result of new technology and shifting consumer behavior.

Exton Square opened at midnight to crowds waiting, said Mary Kay Owen, marketing director at the mall.

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“It was very crowded, a lot of anticipation,” Owen said. “There were deals on clothing to accessories to toys to electronics.”

The Chester County shoppers added to some big numbers.

Consumer reports forecast 193 million shoppers would be out on Black Friday.

The National Retail Federation expected a smaller number; 147 million people would be shopping through the four-day Thanksgiving weekend.

By 11 p.m., there were 150 people in line waiting for Victoria Secrets to open at midnight, Owen said.

This year there is no apples-to-apples comparison to be done with last year because there were so many changes from the traditional opening times for retailers, Owen said.

Macy’s was open at midnight along with 50 in-line stores. Boscov’s opened at 4 a.m. and J.C. Penney at 6 a.m., and Sears opened at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Some of the food court venders were open to keep the shoppers fueled, which seemed to work out OK. In 2011, 5 a.m. was the official mall opening.

Overall, Owen described the Thanksgiving weekend shoppers’ mode as energized.

“There was a lot of energy, a lot of sales and a lot of happy shoppers happy with the deals that they got. Everybody left in a satisfied mode.”

Veteran shoppers out on Black Friday reported finding good deals. A few reported some tussling at a big-box store. Steph and Katie Hill kicked off Thanksgiving weekend shopping at 9 p.m. Turkey Day at a local Walmart, looking for deals with electronics.

Just like NASCAR drivers get used to a little bumping on the track, so do shoppers, it seems.

“There was a little pushing and a little shoving,” Steph Hill said.

The Hill sisters from East Bradford took it in stride and went out again at 8 a.m. on Black Friday for some shopping at Target then Exton Square.

Bob and Carol Ciarrochi from Upper Uwchlan were at Exton Square by midmorning on Black Friday, having started their bargain hunting a 6 a.m. at Kohl’s, followed by Stein Mart then Toys R Us.

“I usually start at 2 a.m. with my daughter, but she’s in Florida,” said Carol Ciarrochi, who brought a stack of coupons with her.

This year she went with her husband who provided the muscle carrying the purchases but did not want to roused out of bed for bargains in the wee hours.

“We saved a lot of money at Kohl’s and Toys R Us,” Carol Ciarrochi said. “I went through the paper, went through the coupons and went to all the places where we had coupons.”

Kim Perry of Honeybrook and her mother, Patti Nanopoulos from South Carolina, up from the South to visit her daughter over Thanksgiving, started shopping at 4:30 a.m.

“Barely anyone was in the store, maybe 10 people” Perry said about the Walmart.

By 6:30 a.m. the duo was at a Target followed by T.J. Maxx, then Exton Square by midmorning as they continued to shop for clothes and toys.

For Nanopoulos, no-tax-on-cloths Pennsylvania is the place to shop. South Carolina does put a sales tax on clothes.

The mother-daughter duo were first-time early Black Friday shoppers but said they would do it again next year.

“Oh yea, it wasn’t too crowed,” Perry said.

Jessi and Casey Janiet, sisters from East Goshen, started at 5:30 a.m. Black Friday at Main Street at Exton at the Walmart buying electronics.

“We spent way to much money on clothes on ourselves,” Jessi Janiet said midmorning while shopping at Exton Square.

“We’re out of money but were going to keep going anyway,” Casey Janiet said. “Today’s the day to do it.”

Starting with Santa’s arrival on Nov. 10 and going through Sunday, Nov. 25, Exton Square is collecting new blankets along with new or gently used coats for Hurricane Sandy victims. Collection bins are at customer service and the mall’s children’s play area.

A. Duie Pyle will take the donations to the Salvation Army in Philadelphia, which is organizing the drive.